The legacy of an influential teacher lives on in the minds of generations of students - and sometimes even further. Ben Rust, who taught world history at El Cerrito High School for more than 30 years, was such a teacher.

A UC Berkeley graduate, Rust was active in education throughout his career, serving as president of the California State Federation of Teachers for seven years and playing a role in the passage of several education-related bills in Sacramento. But his more profound influence was on the students who passed through his classroom.

Rebecca Rust, who grew up in Richmond before moving to Germany, said that those memories live on among listeners who come to her California performances.

"Whenever we perform in the area, someone will always come up to me and say, 'Are you Ben Rust's daughter? I had him for history and he was my favorite teacher.' "

Sunday's concert is a benefit for the El Cerrito High School Archiving Project, an ongoing effort to preserve and celebrate the school's history.